Kevin Hopkins named Muhlenberg men's basketball coach

Kevin Hopkins, a player and coach at one of the most successful programs in Division III, is the new head men's basketball coach at Muhlenberg College.

"I am very excited and honored to be joining the Muhlenberg community," said Hopkins. "I am looking forward to leading the men's basketball team in the highly competitive Centennial Conference.

"From the moment I first stepped on campus, it was easy to see that Muhlenberg is a special place that offers student-athletes an outstanding combination of a top-notch liberal arts education and a competitive Division III athletic experience."

Hopkins comes to Muhlenberg after five non-consecutive seasons as an assistant coach at Amherst College. During that time, Amherst compiled a record of 126-23, reaching the "Final Four" three times and winning the 2013 national championship. Three of the players he coached were All-Americans, including the 2013 and 2014 Division III players of the year.

A standout for the Amherst basketball program during his playing days, the 6-foot-10 Hopkins helped Amherst post a 111-12 overall record en route to three berths in the national semifinals and the program's first national championship in 2007.

Hopkins was a dominant presence in the paint and ranked among the New England Small College Athletic Conference leaders in blocked shots and field-goal percentage in each of his final two seasons. He averaged 10.4 points per game during the team's championship run and led the NESCAC in field-goal percentage (.629) as a senior.

After graduating in 2008 with a degree in psychology, Hopkins played professionally in Germany for two years. He was named a Eurobasket.com All-Regionalliga North first-team center in 2010 after helping his team improve from 5-15 to 13-7.

Hopkins began his coaching career at his alma mater in 2011, and after three seasons he left to spend a year as coaching coordinator for the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA Development League. While there, he coached two NBA callups and the NBADL defensive player of the year for a Warriors team that won the championship with a 41-16 record.

The 25th head coach in the history of a Muhlenberg men's basketball program that dates back to 1900, Hopkins holds a master's degree in sport management from the UMass Isenberg School of Management.